Starting out

[teamnelson]

Want to start casting; looked for a sticky here but nobody has one up. Figure I'll just ask.

Plan to cast 158 gr SWC for .38/.357. I have a 5 gal bucket full of wheelweights, and access to lots more.

I figure at minimum I need a furnace, dipper and mould. I reload with a lee classic so I'm not looking to go fancy on casting. Plan to start out with a 2lb. pot (110V). Looking at moulds, what's a turret lube as opposed to gas checked? I've loaded gas checked so I was leaning that way.

Do I need a sizer? Lube? What else?

Mahalo in advance,
chaps

[stimpylu32]

TN

Heres a good place to start .

http://www.lasc.us/IndexBrennan.htm

http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_1853_cast-bullet.html

stimpy

[Badnews Bob]

If you are looking to stay low end the Lee sizers work really well and will seat the gas checks also,I use them a lot. Lee alox tumble lube work just fine also and a bottle of it comes with every sizer  you order.

I would get a minimum ten pound pot lead goes really fast when you get to casting.

I also use the Lee molds and the 158 gr SWCGC shoots really well out of my .357s I like the six cavity molds, I use the 180gr  mold for my.357 maxies.

I use straight WWs mostly and genrally have no problems at all.  I've also learned that some off them ugly looking bullets with wrinkles and such still shoot well as long as they have a good base.


I really enjoy casting and all the game I've taken in the last four or five years has been with bullets I cast and loaded myself, Good luck.

[D Crockett]

you will need a pot to melt the ww in. I use the bottom 1/2 of a 20 lb lp gas tank. you will also need ingot ,moulds to pore your clean lead in to .you will also need a magnic to get the steel clips out of your mix and a steel spoon to get the other junk out with you can use candle wax for fluxing you lead to get it clean D Crockett

[Tom W.]

A great place to  start looking at and about "how do I " and "What do I need" is here    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php: 

[Lloyd Smale]

i didnt know anyone made a 2lb pot but your going to find it way to small for making bullets. I usually suggest that people new to casting check out lymans expert kit. It has about every thing you need to start making professional quality bullets for around a 150 bucks. about all you need other then the kit is a sizer die and punch for the caliber your casting for.

[jk3006]

I would suggest that you get a plain base mold as long as you're keeping the velocities to 1200 or less.  GC's certainly add to the overall cost. 

[sixgun_symphony]

 I started out with LEE casting equipment, it works well.

 I had very good results with the 158gr SWC micro band bullets, the micro band feature is designed for use with the liquid alox lubricant.